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Kusal Perera was banned from cricket six months ago but two days out from the Lord’s Test he was seen getting special attention in the Nursery Ground nets

Andrew Fidel Fernando07-Jun-2016Two days before a Dunedin Test match in December, news broke that a doping test had found a banned substance in Kusal Perera’s body. In the grueling months that followed, Perera put himself through more tests – including a polygraph – to have his name cleared.Two days out from another Test match and Perera’s batting was seen getting special attention in the nets on the Lord’s Nursery Ground. He admitted six months out of the game had taken an emotional and physical toll, but there is an eagerness to get back to playing cricket. What better place to make his return, he asked, than the most prestigious ground of them all?”I haven’t been told if I’m playing yet, but I was thrown into trouble and to come back from that at Lord’s would be a great opportunity,” Kusal said. “I was banned just before a Test, so to return in this format would be fitting. Even the time I was out of the team I knew I hadn’t done anything wrong. But these things can happen in life.”Between December 7, when he was provisionally suspended, and May 11, when he was cleared, Perera was not allowed to so much as train with the SLC coaches. He might not have had the time anyway, having had to make repeated trips overseas, including to London, where the polygraph and a separate urine test were conducted. A hair analysis was done in a Paris lab.”I couldn’t really think about cricket much in those months, because my focus was on the problem I was facing. I didn’t have any time to think about whether I was in touch, or whether I could train, or even what was happening in cricket. I started training the day after I was cleared. Before then I didn’t do much batting – just some fitness work.”Perera was in the nets at Colombo’s Khettarama on May 13, and said he has trained as much as Sri Lanka’s heavy southwest monsoon has allowed him to. He was not expected to play a part in the Test series, but injuries to others in the squad have allowed him to be fast-tracked.”When you start training after six months your body needs to get used to it again,” he said. “Your muscles start to hurt – but that’s normal. But what I’ve found is that because I’m coming into it quite fresh, I’m hitting the ball well. I’m seeing it well. So there are positives to it as well. I feel like I’m in good touch.”Perera said he hadn’t specifically trained for Test cricket since resuming practice, but was hopeful the relative ease of conditions at Lord’s might ease him into international cricket – if he is in the final XI. Temperatures are expected to remain in the 20s Centigrade during the Test, and no team has been dismissed for less than 350 at Lord’s in three county matches so far this season.”I watched the attack and it’s mostly fast bowlers,” Kusal said. “In London the conditions seem easier, because it must have been very cold in Durham. When it’s cold you are a bit stiff and your feet don’t work as well. With this weather and given the pitch as well – which looks like it will be batting-friendly – I think there’s a chance for us to dominate them.”

Division Two champions Lancashire look set to finish the County Championship season unbeaten after strengthening their grip on their final match against Kent

25-Sep-2013
ScorecardRob Key made his fifth Championship century of the season to rescue Kent•PA Photos

Division Two champions Lancashire look set to finish the County Championship season unbeaten after strengthening their grip on their final match against Kent at Canterbury. Lancashire reached the mid-point of the clash on 75 without loss in their second innings – an overall lead of 99.Having dismissed Kent for 260 to claim a narrow first-innings advantage of 24, Red Rose openers Paul Horton and Luis Reece survived 21 overs through to stumps to dent Kent’s hopes of notching a first home Championship win of the season.Having started the day brightly by taking Lancashire’s final two wickets for the addition of just 15 runs – Ashwell Prince failing to add to his overnight 134 – Kent’s first-innings batting was again found wanting until their former captain Rob Key dug in for his fifth Championship century of the campaign.Responding to Lancashire’s 284, Kent suffered a miserable start and at 7 for 3 the follow-on looked a real possibility until Key saved face with a 118-ball century.The hosts lost opener Sam Northeast for a duck after only 13 deliveries when the right-hander clipped firmly into the hands of midwicket against Kyle Jarvis. Eight balls later and with only a single to his name, Daniel Bell-Drummond then allowed one from Oliver Newby to squeeze through bat and pad and pluck out off stump.Brendan Nash lasted three deliveries before he sparred outside off against Newby to be caught at the second attempt by Tom Smith at third slip as the procession back to the changing rooms continued.However, Key then found a willing ally in fourth-wicket partner Ben Harmison as the pair batted on either side of lunch to add 158 in 35.1 overs – the highest partnership of the game by far. Harmison posted his fifth half-century of an improving campaign from 103 balls while Key looked comfortable throughout as he eased 10 fours and a six during his three-hour ton.Harmison celebrated his fifty with a six off Newby but the bowler enjoyed revenge soon after by trapping the left-hander leg before for 59. The slide continued when Darren Stevens went in similar fashion to the lively Jarvis as Kent’s last five wickets mustered only 41 runs.Sam Billings was superbly caught one-handed at second slip by Andrea Agathangelou, Adam Ball also went leg-before and James Tredwell shouldered arms against Tom Smith to lose his off stump. Key then went for 134, snared by spinner Stephen Parry, who also bowled Kent’s last man Matt Hunn to give Lancashire a narrow lead.At the start of the day Kent required barely half-an-hour to polish off the Lancashire first innings. Debutant Hunn had Prince pocketed at second slip to give the rookie from Suffolk figures of 2 for 51, then Stevens bagged his 200th first-class wicket by having Parry caught in the cordon to deny Lancashire their third batting bonus point.

Stuart Broad found himself in a familiar position for England captains – trying to explain a calamitous display against spin bowling

David Hopps in Colombo23-Sep-2012Stuart Broad found himself in a familiar position for England captains – trying to explain a calamitous display against spin bowling – as his side, dismissed against India for 80 in 14.4 overs, registered England’s lowest total in Twenty20 internationals.”It doesn’t change our destiny a huge amount – we still hop on a bus to Kandy in the morning,” Broad said. “It is not like tomorrow is going to be a different day. It is not as if we have to go home or anything.”It was understandable, indeed it was necessary, that Broad found consolation in the fact that both sides had already qualified for Super Eights and that, for the sake of their travelling supporters, England and India were already locked into matches in Pallekele (near to Kandy) or Colombo respectively, irrespective of whether they finished first or second in the group.But that underplayed the psychological effect that a defeat of such magnitude will have on a relatively untried England batting line-up that had grown in confidence during the warm-up matches but which collapsed spectacularly when faced by the first real test against significant opposition.As Broad had mentioned destiny, he did bring to mind Freud’s theory of repetition compulsion – a psychological phenomenon in which a person (or in this case the England cricket team) repeats a traumatic event, or its circumstances, over and over again.Freud’s theory says the patient does not remember anything about what he has forgotten or repressed, but just acts it out until the end of time, which is a depressing thought for when England next face spin bowling in Asia as well as an intriguing challenge for the team psychologist. The alternative, of course, would be to listen instead to Mushtaq Ahmed, the spin bowling coach, and start hitting the ball down the ground.”Our error today is we lost early wickets,” Broad said. “Spinners always enjoy bowling to new batsmen. We talked the other day about how we need to hit straight and hard and today to lose the first couple of wickets across the line was a bit disappointing. Hitting straight was a much better option than going across the ball.”England’s display was so woeful that when they lost their ninth wicket at 60 they were in danger of recording the lowest score in T20 internationals, undercutting Kenya’s 67 against Ireland. Somehow, they avoided that. But this was their heaviest defeat, by runs, in T20 internationals.There was no alibi for the batsmen and Broad was not about to give them one. There was no sharp turn – there may be as the tournament progresses so if England do reach the semi-finals and face India once more at Premadasa it could be worse – and India’s 170 for 4 was, at most, 10 over par so the target did not demand the impossible.”I don’t think the wicket turned massively to be honest,” Broad said. “The guys getting out said it was just skidding on a little bit. There was a little bit of turn, Harbhajan bowled very nicely with his top-spinner going well but no, I don’t think it was a raging turner or anything.”We made it easy for India in the end. We will have to learn from our mistakes and there were some pretty clear ones in the batting line-up. Young guys seem to learn pretty quickly.”He did not entirely exonerate the bowling, where England suffered in this match by giving Tim Bresnan a run out as a fourth seamer, in defiance of a dry pitch, because of their conviction that the ball will seam and swing in Pallakele and he will play in their opening Super Eight tie against West Indies or Ireland on Thursday as a result. The fielding was also scrappy by England standards, but these were details compared to the car crash of a batting performance.”I think we were a little bit sloppy in places: we had a few soft twos in the outfield,” Broad conceded. “We didn’t hit our lengths as well as we could up front. But I think it was the lowest first-innings score on this ground so far in the tournament. We thought it was very chaseable. The wicket was pretty flat, although it didn’t have the pace in it that it had the other night.”It will be interesting to see what the Pallakele wickets offer. There has been talk that in the Sri Lankan Premier League it seamed around a bit. We knew it was a bit dryer at the start but we wanted to try a different balance of side with the four seamers in a game that we could afford to lose. It was a risk that we took and it didn’t help us.”Sunil Gavaskar, the former India captain, was quick to point out England’s deficiencies. “This is a sorry display from England,” he said. “There’s been a lack of footwork, application and the will to stick around and fight it out.” It was accurate enough but England regard Gavaskar as a serial critic; perhaps this is a comment that will be heading for the dressing room wall.

A round up of the sixth day of matches of the European Championship Division One Twenty20

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Jul-2011Denmark won the European Division One Twenty20 final after beating Italy by six wickets in St Clement. Italy chose to bat and were left in tatters by the Danish bowlers, who skittled their opposition out for 83.Andy Northcote’s 38 (off 37 balls) was the only score over 20 in the Italy innings, and he was bowled while attempted a heave against legspinner Bobby Chawla, who took 3 for 26. Chawla was responsible for tearing through the top order and left-arm spinner Bashir Shah (3 for 14) crippled the middle order. Northcote had added 43 for the second wicket with Damian Crowley, who also perished while attempting a big shot, holing out to long-off. Italy were in a sound position at 67 for 2 in the 12th over, but in a dramatic collapse, lost the next eight wickets for 16 runs.Denmark stuttered in their chase and slipped to 16 for 3 in the fifth over. But Rizwan Mahmood’s patient 31 (off 47 balls) and Aftab Ahmed’s 24 (off 18 balls) saw them to victory with 11 balls to spare. Mahmood’s innings under pressure won him the Man-of-the-Match award. Both Denmark and Italy will participate in the World T20 qualifiers in the UAE next year.Jersey finished third in the tournament with a convincing eight-wicket win over Guernsey, also at St Clement. Guernsey’s innings began unsteadily when they were reduced to 20 for 2 but Ross Kneller’s 37 (off 32 balls) was the glue that held their innings together. With no sizeable partnerships and 19-year old left-arm spinner Ben Stevens (4 for 14) on fire, Guernsey made 158 for 8. Jersey had little trouble reaching the target. Edward Farley’s 90 (off 48 balls) was the mainstay of their innings; it also played a role in winning him the tournament’s Most-Valuable-Player Award. Jersey won in 17.2 overs.Norway took fifth place after a six-wicket demolition of France in St Martin. Norway chose to field and blasted France out for just 70. Forty-one year old Pakistan-born medium pacer Zaheer Ashiq’s 4 for 2 in 1.3 overs proved too much for France. Norway lost both their openers for ducks, No. 3 batsman Ashiq for 6 but Zeeshan Ali’s 33 not out (off 40 balls) took them to victory with 19 balls remaining.Gibraltar won the ninth place play-off, beating Germany by 23 runs in St Helier. Gibraltar recovered from 13 for 2 to 157 for 7. A third-wicket partnership of 65 between Mark Bacerese and Kieron Ferrary, which was the highest of the match, helped Gibraltar to a defendable total. Germany’s innings was punctuated by wickets and they were bowled out for 134. Iain Latin took 3 for 34.Croatia finished the tournament in last place, losing by 86 runs to Israel in St Brelade. Herschel Gutman scored 51 (off 37 balls) and small contributions from the rest of the batting line-up took Israel to 172 for 7, a target that was too stiff for Croatia. Eliezar Samson took 4 for 7 and nine of the Croat batsmen failed to get into double-figures. They were bowled out for 86.

Ed Cowan and George Bailey slammed centuries to give Australia A an overwhelming advantage on the second day at Townsville

Cricinfo staff26-Jun-2010Sri Lanka A 78 and 32 for 0 trail Australia A 402 (Bailey 154*, Cowan 126) by 292 runs

ScorecardGeorge Bailey made an unbeaten 154 with 14 fours and six sixes•Getty Images

Ed Cowan and George Bailey slammed centuries to give Australia A an overwhelming advantage on the second day at Townsville. It was hard work for the Sri Lanka A bowlers as the hosts stretched their lead to 324 before declaring.The day began with Usman Khawaja getting to a half-century. Khawaja and Cowan made steady progress before the former was dismissed for 69 by Sachithra Senanayake, nearly 23 overs in to the day’s play. The pair had added 141 for the second wicket, and that was followed by another century stand, this time between Cowan and Bailey. Cowan was eventually dismissed by Nuwan Pradeep for 126, caught by the wicketkeeper. Bailey and Peter Forrest added 94 in quick time to take the score past 350. Bailey scored in fifth gear, smashing 14 fours and six sixes in his 154 off 138 balls. He declared at 402 for 4, leaving the visitors to bat out 11 overs till stumps.The opening pair of Lahiru Thirimanne and Tharanga Paranavitana ensured they didn’t lose a wicket. The Sri Lankans will face a test of skill and character as they look to save this game with two days remaining.

Support from coach and captain helped spinner rediscover his enjoyment for the game

Matt Roller21-Oct-2024Jack Leach believes that being dropped by England during their home summer enabled him to fall back in love with cricket, aided by an unexpected phone call from Ben Stokes in the aftermath of a Test win.Leach is the leading wicket-taker in England’s series in Pakistan with 14, but had only played two Tests in the 18 months before the tour and failed to complete either due to back and knee injuries. He had returned to full fitness after knee surgery by the time England picked their first Test of the summer in June, but they selected his Somerset team-mate Shoaib Bashir instead.Bashir earned widespread praise after his match-winning five-wicket haul against West Indies at Trent Bridge, and was preferred throughout the rest of the summer. But when England returned to their Nottingham hotel after that win, Stokes called Leach to tell him that Bashir’s success did not mean he had been forgotten.”I felt really happy and proud,” Leach recalled on Monday, speaking at England’s hotel in Islamabad. “He just wanted to tell me how great I was, basically, in the way that he does, and just recognise how I’ve dealt with the situation. That gave me a chance to say some nice things back to him about what he’d given me, probably going back to 2019 at Headingley.Related

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“There’s just a mutual respect there, so it was a nice conversation to have for sure. It just reminded me that I was going about things in the right way, and gave me confidence I still had something to offer the team and I was a part of it, in a small way. That gave me good motivation for the remainder of the summer… a nice reminder that there was still a chance to play.”Leach admitted that he briefly feared that his England career would be over when he initially learned of his omission. “You always do,” he said. “After a long time out with injury, I maybe felt that might be it… I really understood the situation. If you’re not able to stay fit, then other people come in and do well, and Bash certainly did that.”But he was happy with the level of communication from England’s management throughout, and received a similar call from Brendon McCullum the day after speaking to Stokes in July. “I was really happy with that – and in a way, not surprised, because of what I’d experienced when I was there [in the squad],” he said. “I’m very thankful for that, and my relationship with those guys.”After a slow start to the season which saw him take nine wickets at 50.44 in his first four appearances for Somerset, Leach thrived at the end of the year with 36 at 15.86 in five matches. He said that the secret was as simple as “remembering what I’m about, and being happy with that” rather than worrying too much about making minor technical changes.”I just felt like I needed to rediscover that kid-like mentality of why you play the game,” Leach said. “You have that on the journey up to playing for England, that nothing-to-lose mentality. Then it’s like, ‘I’m here now, I want to keep that’. That’s tiring, it’s stressful, it’s not enjoyable… You forget what your main strengths are.”This summer actually provided a really good opportunity to go back to play for Somerset – which is what I always wanted to do as a young boy – and to just simplify everything; just do what I was good at, and build the confidence that actually, that was good enough… I’ve discovered that again: just being myself, and actually really enjoying that.”Leach has outbowled Bashir in England’s first two Tests in Pakistan, but said that reclaiming his status as first-choice spinner is “not important” to him. “That’s not really in my thoughts,” he said. “I just want to keep building on what I’ve done in the summer and what I’m doing out here… For me, it’s all about the team. Maybe I’m at an age where that’s all that really matters to me.”The pair have worked closely together in Pakistan. “He’s just done so well,” Leach said of Bashir. “He’ll just be learning so much, so quickly. He’s quality. We have a good relationship, good fun, and try to work together. I try to help where I can. I don’t want to overload him with stuff: I feel like he’s just learning through playing, and it’s all going to come quite naturally.”The series decider starts on Thursday in Rawalpindi, with another turning pitch in prospect after Pakistan’s 152-run win last week. Two years ago, it was the scene of a famous England win: they racked up 657 in 101 overs in their first innings, and Leach applied the finishing touches when trapping Naseem Shah lbw on the final evening to seal the victory.”That’s probably my favourite wicket: just the pictures of the appeal, and then just after of everyone celebrating,” Leach said. “It was just such a good game to be part of.” England will hope for something similar this week, in their bid for a 2-1 series win.

The Australia opener said he wouldn’t want his children hear some of the things being said

Andrew McGlashan17-Jul-2023Usman Khawaja believes abuse from the crowds towards players has gone too far – both in England and Australia.Khawaja was involved in the confrontation with MCC members in the Lord’s pavilion after the controversial stumping of Jonny Bairstow which has led to three members being suspended. However, he is equally concerned about what children in the stands are hearing as insults get hurled near the boundary.The Bairstow incident prompted strong reaction from the crowds, with Alex Carey saying there had been some “nasty stuff” said, but players had been facing plenty even before that.Related

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“Personally, if I am coming to the cricket and watching the cricket, I wouldn’t want my kids to be around that,” Khawaja said ahead of the Old Trafford Test. “If I saw that I would 100 percent make a complaint or just leave. I think some of the stuff can be pretty poor. Over at Edgbaston they were calling Travis Head a c… you know what. I’m like I can’t believe you can actually say that in a public domain anywhere.”England’s players are often quick to point out that they receive similar treatment on tours of Australia and Khawaja does not condone that either.”If you talk about it to England guys, they say we are equally as rough when [they go to Australia]. I don’t agree with it either way. I don’t think it’s the right thing to do,” Khawaja said.”It can be a little disappointing at times, and I think we can take it too far in Australia. I’m not a big fan of it. I know watching a lot of sport and loving sport that it happens around the world. You watch the NBA [and] it happens there. Particularly when crowds can get real close to you, which they can in cricket. It is what it is, I don’t agree with it.”Khawaja would not be drawn into further discussion about the events in the Lord’s pavilion. “I’m just going to leave it there,” he said. “MCC are all over it. I trust them to do the right thing.”With the Ashes on the line, and Old Trafford another ground where the crowd can get boisterous, it is unlikely the Australians will be in for a quiet time this week.”There’s some nasty stuff been said but…it is the Ashes,” Carey said last week. “There was nasty stuff said before that as well. From Australia I still think we’ve got lots of fans and from England, I don’t think we’ve made any, but we probably didn’t lose any.”It is the Ashes we’ve got to remember, and we’ve had some amazing crowds. We love coming over here, we love playing the Ashes and my first experience [playing Test cricket] in England has been amazing.”

It has also been learnt that Ravindra Jadeja will remain with the team as a player

Nagraj Gollapudi20-May-20223:36

Shastri: Dhoni ‘unbelievably fit’, has ‘enjoyed his cricket this year’

Defending champions Chennai Super Kings have not had a happy IPL 2022, but they have a leg-up for the next edition: MS Dhoni will be with the team as a player next season and, importantly, is going to be their captain too. The main reason to play, as Dhoni explained, is to bid adieu to his supporters in Chennai and the rest of India.Asked by Ian Bishop on Star Sports about his future before Super Kings’ match on Friday evening against Rajasthan Royals, Dhoni said, “Definitely [I will play IPL 2023]. It’s a simple reason: it will be unfair to not play in Chennai and say thank you [to the fans]. Mumbai is one place where, as a team and as an individual, I have got a lot of love and affection. But it wouldn’t be nice to the CSK fans.”And also, hopefully next year there will be an opportunity where the teams will be travelling so it will be a like thank you to all the different places where we will be playing games at different venues. Whether it will be my last year or not that’s a big question, because you know we can’t really predict about something two years down the line. But definitely I’ll be working hard to come back strong next year.”Related

• Shastri: Jadeja as captain 'looked a fish out of water'

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As reported by ESPNcricinfo almost an hour before the toss, Dhoni, now almost 41 years old, has told the Super Kings team management that he will be available for the 2023 IPL and will lead the team too. In another shot in the arm for the four-time IPL champions, it has been learnt that Ravindra Jadeja, who left the Super Kings camp following an injury, will also be in the mix for the 2023 season. This debunks the perception that Jadeja had fallen out with Dhoni and the team management after the captaincy swap a little more than halfway into Super Kings’ 2022 season.The developments are significant for Super Kings, whose game against Royals is their final match of the ongoing season. With just four wins so far in 13 matches, Super Kings are ninth on the points table, just above Mumbai Indians.It was on May 1, ahead of Super Kings’ ninth league match, against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Pune, that Dhoni returned as the team’s captain. This, after Jadeja had decided to step down, having taken the reins from Dhoni at the start of the season.At the toss, when Danny Morrison asked Dhoni whether he would be seen in action in 2023, Dhoni had given a cryptic answer: “You’ll definitely see me in the yellow jersey – whether it’s this yellow jersey or some other yellow jersey you will have to wait and watch.”The issue of the Super Kings’ captaincy has been in the news right from the beginning of the season; when, just two days before the first game of IPL 2022, it was announced that Jadeja would be leading them; when a run of losses kept Super Kings in the bottom two of the points table; when the decision was made to return the captaincy to Dhoni and then Jadeja abruptly exited the competition.5:26

Vettori: ‘Probably comes down to Jadeja not enjoying the captaincy’

After winning the first match on his return to captaincy, Dhoni had spoken about the circumstances that forced him to take back the captaincy. He explained that captaincy was “having an effect” on Jadeja’s game, and that the team management had eventually decided that they needed Jadeja the player more.”What is important is once you become the captain, you have to take care of many things,” Dhoni had told Star Sports after the Sunrisers match. “And that also includes taking care of your own game. And with him, his mind was working a lot.”It’s not easy to control your mind, it’s the strongest feature… body, physiques, all of those things are fine, but once your mind starts working and it wants to contribute more: okay, what’s the combination I can play with; okay, who can bowl at what point of time. It doesn’t really stop. So, what really happens is the individual is not able to relax – even when he closes his eyes and wants to sleep, the mind is still working.”So what I felt was, it was having an effect on his game also. When he was going in to bat, or when it comes to his preparation, is putting this [extra] burden affecting his game? Because I would love to have Jadeja as a bowler and batter and fielder. Captaincy, fair enough. Even if you relieve [him of] captaincy, and if he is at his best [as a player], that’s what we really want because we were also losing a great fielder. We were struggling [to find] a deep-midwicket fielder.”They will be there, in the Super Kings ranks, next year too•BCCI

Dhoni, the Super Kings captain right through their journey in the IPL – bar the two years the franchise was banned following the spot-fixing scandal of 2013 and the first few matches of the ongoing season – and Jadeja were both part of the quartet retained by Super Kings ahead of the 2022 players’ auction. While Jadeja was retained as the first pick at INR 16 crore, Dhoni was the second player retained at INR 12 crore.Dhoni, who will be close to 42 by the next IPL, is already the oldest player in the tournament. Though he is one of the fittest players around as well as one of the most astute captains, the question about Super Kings’ next captain has been posed often to both Dhoni and the Super Kings management over the past few years.Last October, immediately after Super Kings won the 2021 IPL, N Srinivasan, the Super Kings’ owner, said that Dhoni would always be “part and parcel” of not just the franchise, but also the city of Chennai and the state of Tamil Nadu. “There is no CSK without Dhoni and there is no Dhoni without CSK,” Srinivasan had said.A month later, while felicitating Dhoni and the team for winning their fourth IPL title, Srinivasan had reiterated, “People keep bugging him, ‘are you going to continue?’ , he’s there, I say. He’s not gone anywhere. Why don’t you understand the fact that he’s there. He’s still there. With us.”

Fast bowler wants to set an example to kids from varying backgrounds

Barny Read03-Feb-2021England bowler Chris Jordan says he hopes that by being a positive presence at the highest level the game can serve as inspiration for young people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities.Cricket, especially in England, is increasingly under-fire for its lack of diversity, with former England batsman Michael Carberry saying last summer that “cricket is rife with racism” and that “the people running the game don’t care about black people”.Carberry’s comments forced the ECB to admit that “barriers to enjoying our sport exists”, while Azeem Rafiq’s litigation against Yorkshire over claims of discrimination and racial abuse led to the club issuing a statement that lifetime bans for anyone involved in “vile” threats on social media aimed at Rafiq, his family and his legal team.Under-representation is a major aspect of cricket’s issues in dealing with and precenting discrimination, and Jordan wants both his performances and professionalism to be something that leads the way for others to follow.”So many different eyes are on you but the kind of eyes that I’m more concerned about are especially those younger kids from different backgrounds and varying backgrounds that might be looking up to me, who knows, for some inspiration. You try to set an example as much as possible,” Jordan told ESPNcricinfo.”Bearing that in mind, when I do step onto the field and you do find yourself in certain settings, you know that some of your actions and everything that you do, those kids might be looking towards you for that inspiration. So if they see me trying to continue to improve my game and continue to reach new heights and doing all these things and that inspires them then that’s good enough for me.”The England bowler is so often the go-to guy for teammates looking for advice; the man able to not only lead his team but also unite it. Tom Banton this week explained how he would ask Jordan for an introduction to Nicholas Pooran, while Qalandars captain Sohail Akhtar described him as his team’s “leader”.”[He’s an] excellent human being, very supportive character,” said Sohail after Jordan’s 1-11 – including a wicket and just two runs from the ninth over of Bangla Tigers’ chase that came up seven runs short – ensured the Qalandars maintained their perfect T10 League record in Abu Dhabi.Speaking prior to that decisive performance with the ball for Qalandars, Jordan explained that the mentoring role is something he relishes and could be an avenue he explores whenever he hangs up his spikes.”I do enjoy really working with younger players, I do enjoy encouraging them,” Jordan said. “I’m always willing to share, I’m always trying to help just because I’m trying to live good with people in general and any bit of knowledge I can share or impart on anyone then I’m more than willing to do that.”If that allows me to transition into a coaching role or mentorship role eventually then when that time comes, I think that I’ll have enough information to make that decision but I stay in the movement as much as possible. I’m enjoying playing my cricket, I’m enjoying continuing to travel the world and continue to improve my skills as well so I’m putting all my energy into that.”

The first standalone WBBL begins on Friday. Here are how the teams stack up

Alex Malcolm and Andrew McGlashan16-Oct-2019

Adelaide Strikers

Squad Darcie Brown, Tegan McPharlin, Alex Price, Annie O’Neil, Sarah Coyte, Katie Mack, Sophie Devine, Suzie Bates, Bridget Patterson, Ellie Falconer, Megan Schutt, Tahlia McGrath, Stafanie Taylor, Lauren Winfield, Amanda-Jade Wellington, Tabatha Saville2018-19 statsWhat happened last season?They began with victory against eventual champions the Brisbane Heat, but struggled for consistency until the backend if the group stage where they secured three victories in a row – including a Super Over win against the Hobart Hurricanes – but it was too late to make the knockouts. That was despite having two of the five highest run-scorers in Sophie Devine and Suzie BatesPlayer to watchAllrounder Tahlia McGrath was part of Australia’s Test and ODI side but has not featured since 2017 although is a current member of the national performance squad. Last season she was the Strikers’ third-highest run-scorer behind Devine and Bates and if she can increase her output from the 276 runs made in 2018-19 it will help take the pressure off the New Zealand pair.

Brisbane Heat

Brisbane Heat became the first non-Sydney team to win the WBBL•Getty Images

Squad Kirby Short (capt), Haidee Birkett, Maddy Green, Grace Harris, Laura Harris, Mikayla Hinkley, Sammy-Jo Johnson, Jess Jonassen, Amelia Kerr, Delissa Kimmince, Charli Knott, Lilly Mills, Beth Mooney, Georgia Prestwidge, Courtney Sippel2018-19 statsWhat happened last season?Ended the Sydney Sixers’ quest for a hat-trick of titles with a three-wicket win in the final where Beth Mooney battled the heat for a matchwinning 65 then they held their nerve amid a late wobble. Their semi-final win over the Sydney Thunder had been a thriller as well with Haidee Birkett holding a stunning catch to secure victory. Mooney had an excellent tournament with the bat, making 486 runs, while Delissa Kimmince was the leading wicket-taker with 22.Player to watchLast season Grace Harris smashed the fastest WBBL hundred off just 42 balls against the Melbourne Stars and overall she was the Heat’s second-highest scorer behind Mooney. Her strike-rate of 148.41 was the highest of the tournament. There were also 16 wickets at an economy rate of under six in a stellar tournament. And that’s before we even mention the times she is on the mic in the field.

Hobart Hurricanes

Heather Knight will be a key figure in the Hobart Hurricanes’ batting•Getty Images

Squad Nicola Carey, Stefanie Daffara, Erin Fazackerley, Katelyn Fryett, Maisy Gibson, Corinne Hall (capt), Brooke Hepburn, Heather Knight, Hayley Matthews, Sasha Moloney, Meg Phillips, Emily Smith, Chloe Tryon, Belinda Vakarewa, Tayla Vlaeminck, Fran Wilson2018-19 statsWhat happened last season?The Hurricanes made the semi-finals in the first two seasons of the WBBL but have been the competition anchors in the last two years. Last season they won just two matches and also lost two Super Overs. West Indies star Hayley Matthews only managed two games before being injured and India’s Smriti Mandhana managed just two half-centuries in 13 games. The Hurricanes did score more runs than any other team but they conceded more runs than any other side as well. They had real trouble containing opposition sides and they have made a concerted effort in the off-season to bolster the bowling stocks.Player to watch Tayla Vlaeminck has made the move to Tasmania alongside fellow Australia player Nicola Carey. Vlaeminck hasn’t shown her best form at WBBL level yet due to a multitude of injury issues but her performances for Australia recently suggest she could have a huge tournament. She has taken wickets in each of her last five international matches and has conceded under six runs an over. She will be the fastest bowler in the tournament and will give the Hurricanes some real strike-power upfront.

Melbourne Renegades

Sophie Molineux celebrates a wicket•Getty Images

Squad Tammy Beaumont, Makinley Blows, Maitlan Brown, Josie Dooley, Jess Duffin (capt), Erica Kershaw, Claire Koski, Carly Leeson, Sophie Molineux, Courtney Neale, Molly Strano, Lea Tahuhu, Georgia Wareham, Courtney Webb, Danni Wyatt2018-19 statsWhat happened last season?The Renegades fell agonisingly short of the final. Sophie Molineux firstly went within millimetres of finding the match-winning boundary off the last ball of the semi-final and then she was inches short of the winning third run after her full stretch dive was just beaten by Alyssa Healy’s direct hit. The Renegades did only just scrape into the semis, though, winning seven games for the season. Their attack was their biggest weapon last year with the spin trio of Molly Strano, Georgia Wareham, and Molineux complemented by the speed of Lea Tahuhu and the consistency of Maitlan Brown. But their batting was too heavily reliant on Molineux, who scored three of the Renegades’ six half-centuries for the season, including her brilliant innings in the semi-final.Player to watchAllrounder Sophie Molineux is again the Renegades key player and with the absence of Amy Satterthwaite her runs will be even more important. She will get more support at the top of the order with the signing of senior England batter Tammy Beaumont. Molineux will be pushing to be part of Australia’s T20 World Cup squad and runs and wickets will put her right in the frame.

Melbourne Stars

Lizelle Lee waits to swat one away on a way to a hundred•Getty Images

Squad Kristen Beams, Lucy Cripps, Mignon du Preez, Nicole Faltum, Holly Ferling, Tess Flintoff, Nicola Hancock, Emma Inglis, Alana King, Lizelle Lee, Katey Martin, Erin Osborne, Angela Reakes, Annabel Sutherland, Elyse Villani (capt)2018-19 statsWhat happened last season?The Stars started the season with a bang thanks to Lizelle Lee’s stunning century on the opening day, and they won their first two matches, but their batting really fell away badly as they struggled to make winning scores. The South African pair of Lee and Mignon du Preez reached 50 just once each which meant their relatively inexperienced attack didn’t have much to work with. Legspinner Kristen Beams, who has announced she will retire after this season, was only available for six games which made their task even harder and they only managed five wins for the season.Player to watchElyse Villani returning home to Melbourne after a stint in Perth is a huge boost for the Stars. She takes over as captain and is very highly regarded as a leader but her batting will be where she can make the biggest impact. She was the sixth leading runscorer in the WBBL last season and only played 11 games. She has also been out of favour at international level and will be looking to push her case for the T20 World Cup having not played a T20I since the 2018 World Cup final in the West Indies.

Perth Scorchers

Perth Scorchers will be able to call on Australia captain Meg Lanning•Getty Images

Squad Jemma Barsby, Samantha Betts, Nicole Bolton, Mathilda Carmichael, Piepa Cleary, Kim Garth, Heather Graham, Kath Hempenstall, Amy Jones, Emma King, Meg Lanning (capt), Taneale Peschel, Chloe Piparo, Georgia Redmayne, Nat Sciver2018-19 statsWhat happened last season?The much-vaunted Scorchers were arguably the biggest disappointments of WBBL04. Despite the star power in the top-order, they were unable to make the finals for the first time. Meg Lanning, Elyse Villani and Nicole Bolton missed 13 games between them which did test the Scorchers’ depth from a batting perspective, but they really struggled with the ball. Heather Graham took 22 wickets in a season where she was named domestic player of the year but Bolton’s 12 wickets from 11 games with her part-time offspin was the next best contributor, and she was the only bowler with an economy rate under seven.Player to watchNicole Bolton will be important for the Scorchers. She has taken a step back from international cricket for the time being to focus on her mental health and she has enjoyed the domestic environment with Western Australia, scoring two WNCL half-centuries to start the season. Lanning will be the key wicket for opposition teams and that may allow Bolton to play with some freedom. Her offspin will be useful again, as she is particularly adept at bowling in the powerplay.

Sydney Sixers

Alyssa Healy’s maiden T20I century landed her a world record•Getty Images

Squad Sarah Aley, Alisha Bates, Erin Burns, Stella Campbell, Lauren Cheatle, Maddy Darke, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Jodie Hicks, Emma Hughes, Marizanne Kapp, Ellyse Perry, Hayley Silver-Holmes, Dane van Niekerk, Lauren Smith2018-19 statsWhat happened last season?Pipped in the final by the Heat after the semi-final for the ages against the Renegades when the relay run out between Erin Burns, Sarah Aley and Alyssa Healy became one of the moments of the season. A stellar top order produced three individuals hundreds – two from Ellyse Perry and one for Healy – supplemented by further international class in Ashleigh Gardner, Erin Burns and Dane van Niekerk. Perry’s tally of 777 runs was a new WBBL record.Player to watchIt may seem obvious to pick out Ellyse Perry, but the strength of Australia’s top order means she hasn’t been needed much with the bat in recent times. Back on the domestic scene she can expect to be at the top of the order with the chance to set the tone for the innings. The Sixers aren’t short on bowling options, either, but Perry will be looking to increase on her return of 10 wickets in 16 matches at last year’s tournament.

Sydney Thunder

Nida Dar bowls•IDI/Getty Images

Squad Rachael Haynes, Sam Bates, Alex Blackwell, Nida Dar, Hannah Darlington, Rene Farrell, Lisa Griffith, Saskia Horley, Shabnim Ismail, Phoebe Litchfield, Rachel Priest, Kate Peterson, Naomi Stalenberg, Rachel Trenaman, Tahlia Wilson2018-19 statsWhat happened last season?Finished second in the league stage and when Nicole Carey connected with her swing into the leg side off the final ball of the semi-final against the Heat it looked as though they were destined for the final, only for Haidee Birkett to grab the brilliant catch on the boundary. Rachael Haynes led the batting impressively with 376 runs with Stafanie Taylor, who this season will play for the Strikers, taking 19 wickets and contributing 212 runs.Player to watchIt remains to be seen how often she makes the startling XI, but 16-year-old Phoebe Litchfield is an undoubted star of the future. Earlier this year a video posted by the NSW Breakers of her batting in the nets gained considerable attention and over the last 12 months she has scored her maiden first grade century, made her debut for the Breakers and been selected for Australia Under-19s and the Governor General’s XI.